The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-04-13
Fallacies of Socialism.

1t is claimed by the followers of
Henry George that their chief has
never advocated that real estate should
be actually coniiscated by the state
that is, taken absolutely from the hold
ing of present owners and divided
among the people equally, or in any
other way. 1t is explained that his
plan is for the state to resume the titles
of all land and collect the rents for its
use. This would seem to be dis
tinction without much of difference,
so far as the owners of the land are
concerned. He would not deprive
present owners from still occupying
their property and enjoying the i'm
provements made upon it. The specu-
lative increase in the value of land
would belong to the public, and the
public would reap the benefit through
the increase of rents paid to the state.
The fallacy of this position lies in a
nutshell: the ownership of all land is
originally in the state, and therefore it
cannot be confiscated to the state. The
titles have been given under authority of
law, and therefore the owners of land
cannot be disturbed in their titles. All
private titles to land came originally
from the state, which alone had the
power of giving them, and so it is
bound to secure them.
Another of the fallacies of socialism
is pointed out by writer in the April
Century. A large class of socialists
maintain that the state should own all
means of production and pay all work
men according to the rule of JUSTICE"
which is understood to mean to pay to
each according to his needs. BY this
rule a man of superior talents or crea-
tive genius would receive no higher
recompense than the most inefficient
workman-and, indeed, if the latter had
a larger family, he would apparently
receive more. Great skill and intel
ligence would go for nothing, if men
were to be recompensed according to
their needs and not according to their
abilities. The fallacy of this position
is easily demonstrated. If men are
paid according to their needs, or their
deeds, it is obvious that some would
receive much more than others, and
thereby restore the reign of inequality
which it is the cardinal purpose of So
cialism to abolish. AS the writer in
the Century says, " it would be impos-
sible, therefore, in socalistic state to
adopt this method of payment, and
thus there is no escape from the fla
grant injustice of paying man ac-
cording to his deeds while requiring
him to work according to his abilities"
1t would indeed be a monstrous system
under which skilled and efficient man
would get no higher pay than the in
efficient and lazy one, and trained
brain-worker no higher compensation
than the ordinary laborer.
There are several groups of socialists
in this country and abroad holding
views somewhat dissimilar, but which
alike tend to radical revolution in
the existing order of things. All their
theories, or all the different forms of
the same theories, are fallacious in the
extreme. The utmost which the threat
ened revolution of the socialists could
do would be to destroy existing prop
erty and social order. This done, So
ciety would reconstruct itself the best
it could out of the ruins; and there is
no reason to suppose that in the new
order of things any one would occupy
higher place than he does at pres
ent, but then, as now, men would
generally be recompensed according TO
their capacity and their works, and
that those social and economic laws,
which are as memorable as the laws of
chemistry, would resume their sway.
Railway Legislation in England.